This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
When performing a procedure on a patient, a prosthesis can be used to replace or augment a natural anatomical feature. For example, due to age, injury, disease, or other causes, a portion of the anatomy may need to be replaced or resurfaced. Examples include replacing an acetabulum on a patient either in conjunction with or separate from replacing or resurfacing a femoral head. An acetabular prosthesis is generally positioned within a prepared acetabulum.
Positioning an acetabular prosthesis or tibial bearing relative to another prosthetic portion can include various dexterous movements. The acetabular prosthesis or tibial bearing is generally positioned with a selected alignment and position relative to a tibial bone. The alignment of the acetabular prosthesis or tibial bearing can include rotational positioning that is generally selected relative to the natural anatomy. The prosthesis includes a central axis that is aligned and positioned at a certain depth that is selected to be aligned and positioned with a portion of the natural anatomy. In positioning the acetabular prosthesis or tibial bearing in the selected position, both position and axial alignment can be selected. Each patient may require a different alignment and axial position that is generally unknown prior to the procedure. Positioning the acetabular prosthesis or tibial bearing requires the user, such as a surgeon, to position the acetabular prosthesis or tibial bearing appropriately in a patient's anatomy. The correct position may require the user to use a trial-and-error method, where several prostheses of different sizes are positioned in the patient's anatomy, measured, and removed during a trial procedure. Accordingly, the trial-and-error process is time consuming.